Love Conquers Stupid
by chillbook1
Summary: Aria and Sonata are happy together, finally ready to start their lives with one another. Time to see if their marriage can hold up to their anger, stupidity, and selfish, gold-digging other set of "shorts" that end up being super long.
1. Love Conquers Stupid

It was a perfect wedding. Before the actual ceremony, Aria and Sonata had split the group in half and threw their own separate bachelorette parties, where they'd made a number of poor choices and had a heaping truckload of fun. Then, when the big day arrived, all the dreams that Aria didn't know she had came true.

The church, filled to burst with all the friend the Sirens had made over the years, was a perfect storm of joy and tears. Aria was waiting at the alter, grinning almost nervously. She was constantly adjusting her tux, pulling at her cuffs, straightening her bowtie. Then, down the aisle in the most gorgeous dress ever conceived came her wife to be. Since Sonata had never known her father, she had requested that Adagio give her away. Arm in arm, the two made their way to the altar, where Adagio smirked in her snobbish, Adagio way, then handed off the ditzy Siren to Aria. Sonata removed her veil, the two said their vows, nobody had any reason the two shouldn't be wed, their peace was forever held, with these rings the two were wed and the bride was most certainly kissed. Oh, it was the most perfect wedding anyone had ever seen.

At least, that was how Aria imagined it. At the moment, she was still in the planning phase, which was a part of the celebration that she couldn't be less interested in. To be perfectly frank, Aria didn't give a single semblance of a bother who sat with whom, or what food was to be served (she knew it'd be tacos, she didn't care). Honestly, she didn't care who showed up, either, because she didn't expect it to be very many. She knew that, in the years since the Battle of the Bands, she had made a fair number of friends, but she didn't think she made any more than the next socially-inept angry Siren. She didn't care about wardrobe, she didn't care about the after-party, and she didn't care where it was held. As long as she was with Sonata Dusk (soon to be Blaze), nothing else mattered in the slightest.

She was the only one who held that mentality.

"Aria, would it kill you to take this even a little seriously?" asked Adagio angrily. The lead Siren was sitting with her two friends at the kitchen table, wearing the reading glasses she oh so detested while peering at lists and letters and RSVPs. Sonata was listening intently, grasping onto every single word she could. Aria, in the meantime, was reading a comic book while half-heartedly listening, occasionally muttering a "yeah" or "uh-huh".

"Yeah, I think it would, actually," said Aria, although she did close her comic and lay it on the table. "I don't really get why I have to be here."

"Is that a serious question?" scoffed Adagio. "Are we still perpetuating the idea that Sonata is the dumb one? I think you've officially taken that spot from her."

"Bite me, Dag."

"Oh, cut her a break, Dagi," said Sonata dreamily. "She never pretended that she'd be interested in this sort of thing." She looked at Aria with her biggest, shiniest puppy eyes. "I mean, she's only getting married to the love of her life. Why would she pay attention to something so insignificant?"

"You are literally the worst person I've ever met," groaned Aria. "Alright, fine, I'll pay attention. What are we talking about?"

"We were about to ask you who the best man will be," said Adagio, clicking a pen.

"The what?"

"You are not serious," said Adagio, shaking her head in disbelief. "That is something you said to get under my skin. Please tell me that you're just trying to annoy me."

"I don't know who my best man is, okay? I didn't think I'd need to get one!" exclaimed Aria. "I've never seen a lesbian wedding before. Until a few weeks ago, I thought you two jokers were going to try and get me in a wedding dress!"

Adagio was happy to yell at Aria a bit more, and she would have, had Sonata not been there to grasp her elbow with a small smile. Sonata thought it was cute how nervous Aria clearly was about the wedding. Plus, the image of Aria in a big, frilly white wedding dress was extremely hilarious, and a little bit sensual.

"It's okay, we can fix this," said Sonata. "Think for a second. Besides Dagi, who would you consider your best friend? Someone you trust to be there for you."

The first person to come to mind was Button Mash, a suggestion that Aria internally beat to death as quickly as she conceived it. She loved the little guy (though she would never say that outloud), but she somehow felt that he wouldn't be the best fit. She decided that it must be one of the Rainbooms, and a few seconds later, she came to a decision. She whipped out her phone, went down her very short contact list, and tapped the name "Sunny". The phone rang for just a few seconds before Sunset Shimmer picked up.

"Hey, what's up, Ari?" said Sunset. Aria could hear the grin in her voice.

"Nothing much. How's it going with you, Doc?" asked Aria.

"Oh, come on. I'm not even done with my second year yet," laughed Sunny. "So, what's the story? Wedding stuff?"

"You have no idea. I need to ask you a huge favor."

"Shoot."

"Be my best man?" asked Aria. Sunset Shimmer laughed and laughed, and then she laughed a little more.

"I hope that's not how you proposed," laughed Sunset. "Of course I'll be your best man. When's the wedding?"

"Yo, Sony. When's the wedding?"

"The sixth," said Sonata, ignoring the fit that Adagio was having at that absurd question.

"The sixth," reported Aria.

"It's never a good sign when the groom has to ask when the wedding is," snickered Sunset. Then, she thought on it for a second. "Wait, that's in two weeks! How are you just now asking me?"

"Because the groom is an idiot!" shouted Adagio.

"Yeah, I'm a big, dumb, stupid idiot," agreed Aria sarcastically. "Sunny, I'll call you back when I get more information. Thanks for agreeing on such short notice."

"What else are best friends for?" Sunset laughed. She bid her farewell, and hung up. Aria slipped her phone back into her pocket, then turned to her fiance and their wedding planner.

"How exactly did you and Sunset Shimmer become best friends?" asked Adagio.

"She's a demon, I'm a dirtbag, we have a lot in common," answered Aria, being only mostly sarcastic. "She used to help me suppress the urge to be evil. Besides you two jerkwads, she was the first real friend I ever had."

"That's sweet. Tell her to work that into her speech," said Adagio, running her hands through her hair tiredly. "Especially the 'she's a demon, I'm a dirtbag' thing."

"Speech? I didn't say anything about a speech!" said Aria. She yanked up her phone and started flipping through her contacts. "I better warn her…"

"Ari, I'm sure she knows," said Sonata. She calmly took Aria's phone from her. "Aria, you are literally the only person in this entire scenario who doesn't know what they're doing."

"Well, this is my first marriage, you butt," growled Aria, snatching her phone back. She was kind of annoyed by how well Sonata was dealing with the impending weight of being married. She was calm, and nearing the point of coherency. Aria really selfishly hated that Sonata was being more mature about this than her.

"Same here. Adagio's the real expert here," said Sonata with a sly grin. Adagio rolled her eyes rather impatiently.

"I told you, I never married that guy," she explained. "I don't even know how that lie got to this point. It was originally that he seduced me, which is equally untrue. Probably more untrue. He was just some guy who thought he could get a little bit of fame by saying he bagged the hottest girl at school."

"We've been to a hundred schools, Adagio," snickered Aria. "Maybe more. You have never been the hottest girl at any of them."

"Well, at least I didn't lose a fight to a girl in a wheelchair!"

Aria blushed fiercely with embarrassment, while Sonata sat back in her chair and giggled.

"That's not true!" argued Aria. "That never happened, someone made that up."

"We were there, babe," giggled Sonata. "I think Adagio still has the video, actually."

"How was I supposed to know that she knew aikido?! Who teaches a paraplegic martial arts?!"

Adagio, laughing while she did, rose from the table and left the room. She was gone, upstairs, for a bit, then she returned with some sort of tape in her hand. She gestured for the girls to follow her to the living room, where she pulled out a machine that rivalled the Sirens for age: A VCR. She slipped the tape into the ancient machine, flipped on the TV, and pressed play. Then, she grinned sadistically, and fell onto the couch next to Aria and Sonata. On the screen was Aria and some girl in a wheelchair, who seemed to be yelling at each other outside of a school.

"Aria, I swear to God, if you hit this girl…" said Adagio, offscreen somewhere.

"She wants a piece, she can get a piece!" snapped the video Aria. She ran forward to punch the girl. In one deft movement, the disabled girl grabbed Aria's wrist, hit her in the gut with her other hand, and flipped her, hard, onto the concrete. Aria groaned loudly, someone offscreen (Sonata, as it turned out) screamed, and Adagio laughed and laughed.

"Where did you get this tape?" demanded Aria.

"I was holding the camera, stupid," said Adagio, her voice still loaded with amusement. "I'd forgotten about it for a long time, I'm glad it still works."

"Why do we still have a VCR?" asked Sonata.

"Because Adagio can't let go of the past," grumbled Aria. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get rid of that freaking tape." Nobody anywhere could've ever predicted what happened next. It was an event that happened so rarely that even those who witnessed it still believed it may be a myth. Legend stated that it only happened once every couple of eons, and only when the whole of the world had appeased each of the elder gods.

Adagio complied with a request from Aria.

"Very well. I'll get rid of it," said Adagio. "I wouldn't want to annoy you too much just yet. That's the wife's job, if I recall."

"What?" said Aria and Sonata. Adagio got up, popped out the tape and, using a technique she had learned after studying her dear friend Pinkie, slipped the tape into her massive poof of orange hair.

"Well, I better go. I only have your wedding to plan," sighed Adagio. She shook her head in disappointment at her friend's uncaring demeanor in regards to the wedding, then headed for the door. As soon as the door shut behind her, Sonata tackled her fiance, pressing herself down against her chest.

"It's happening!" squealed Sonata excitedly. "I can't believe it! Two weeks, and then we'll be married!"

"And I'm already starting to regret it." Aria leaned forward and pecked Sonata on the lips. "How do you feel?"

"I can't even explain it. I've never been so happy in my entire life! Just think, Aria," sighed Sonata wistfully. "After all we've been through together, the three of us, we end up together forever. Us, of all people! When we got banished to this place, I never thought that we'd get to live happily ever after. Especially not with each other."

Neither of them could've seen it coming, the two of them together. Besides them being probably the two most unlikely to end up with a happy ending, Aria never really wanted one. She never thought she deserved one, being what she was and what she did. When they were still along their dark path of feasting on the negative energy of others, Aria didn't know or care how they would end up. All that mattered was feeding, causing turmoil, growing stronger.

Times have certainly changed.

"You look like you've got something on your mind, babe," said Sonata. "Is there something you wanna ask me?"

"Something _has_ been eating me, I guess," said Aria with a small smile.

"You know you can ask me anything." They kissed again, and an evil thought came to Aria's mind.

"So, we're getting married and all, but… If we meet someone better, do we get a mulligan?" asked Aria. The look on Sonata's face was equal parts confusion, disgust, anger, and amusement. It made Aria laugh, and feel a little bad, as well. But, mostly, she found it to be hilarious.

"You're so not funny," said Sonata.

"You're so laughing, though," chuckled Aria. Sonata slapped her chest playfully, more than used to her fiance's sense of humor. "Okay, I'm gonna be serious now. I don't know if you can tell, but-"

"You're scared out of your tights?" asked Sonata.

"I don't wear tights anymore," said Aria evasively. Sonata peered at her with a look that said "cut the crap, you know what I meant". "Yes, babe, I'm terrified."

"Why?" It was a genuine question. It was a good question. But, as it was one that Aria couldn't really find an answer for, it annoyed her all the same. For a few seconds, Aria simply stared blankly, trying to work out how best to express her thoughts.

"It's just… You know I love you, right?" sighed Aria. Even after all the time the two were together, she still felt a little odd saying that. "I wanna give you my all, babe. You deserve the best, and I want to give it to you. But, like… What if I'm a bad wife? Or husband or whatever you're gonna call me?"

"You're going to be the perfect wife-sband, Ari," promised Sonata. She pressed her finger against the tip of Aria's nose. "Stop worrying about what you might've done before you got better."

"I wasn't sick. Just messed up a little," said Aria. "And I don't think you could call this 'better'. I just made a joke about having a free do-over on our wedding. That is not something that a normal woman who is going to be a normal wife says."

Aria got really upset when she heard Sonata laugh, just as much of her annoyance directed at herself as Sonata. Aria couldn't believe how open she was being, nor could she understand Sonata's apparent mocking of her feelings. That said, it was classic pot-and-kettle, and Aria could hardly justify her anger for long.

"Aria, you are somewhere close to fifteen hundred years old," Sonata reminded her. "You were best friends with Al Capone. You're a half-fish, half-horse monster that feeds on the negativity of others."

"There a point to all of this?"

"But you can also paint. You can take care of pets. You've gotten into a bagillion bar fights, for me," continued Sonata. "And, being honest, you can be a huge jerk sometimes. You are anything _but_ normal. I didn't agree to marry you for normal." Sonata kissed Aria on the forehead. "I agreed to marry you for Aria."

"Ugh, you're so much better than me!" groaned Aria. "You're not supposed to be handling anything more maturely than me, pretty sure it's against the law. Quick, complain about something dumb so I can feel like an adult again!" Sonata giggled, but tried her best to comply.

"Uh… Okay, well, Adagio's gonna be complaining for ages," said Sonata. "She's really annoyed that her boyfriend isn't coming." Aria raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Seriously? Emo-freak thinks he can skip _my_ wedding?" scoffed Aria. "What's up with that?"

"Oh, maybe it had something to do when you threatened him with a knife and shouted 'Don't even think about coming to my wedding'?"

Aria thought back, failing to remember what Sonata was talking about at first. Eventually, Aria managed to piece together what her fiance was referring to.

"Honestly, when is that guy gonna develop a sense of humor?" said Aria.

"You pinned him to the wall and held a knife over his groin," pointed out Sonata.

"He kicked my dog," Aria said, as if that somehow defended her point.

"Okay, first off: Achilles is Dagi's dog," Sonata reminded her. "Second, you were plastered that night, because _someone_ thought they could down six Jagers and then cut some cake." Sonata tapped Aria's nose again, firmer this time. "Third, he totally tripped and apologized right after. _You_ over-reacted."

"As usual, apparently," grumbled Aria. She ran her hand through Sonata's ponytail like she often did when nervous. Sonata, having long since learned the signs of a disgruntled Aria, was used to her fiance not confiding in her when she should be. Aria, despite her attempts at overcoming her fear of her own feelings, still had trouble stating what she thought was dumb or pointless. So, as was her nature, she simply dropped the subject.

"So, we still have most of the day," said Sonata. "What do we do with it?" Aria sighed, then reached into her mental bag of corny lovey-dove things to say.

"I'm cool with this," said Aria, tapping Sonata's nose. It was, arguably, one of the sweeter and more heartfelt moments the two had shared. Even if it was slightly awkward and tense, it was pure, directly from their hearts. The moment could've lasted forever.

If it weren't for Adagio.

"Give a nice, big smile for the camera before you start sucking face," said Adagio from behind her camera. Sonata blushed slightly, while Aria showed her dear friend and her camera her absolute favorite finger. Adagio, who had been listening intently ever since she quietly re-entered the house, shortly after Sonata' original tackle, just laughed and closed her camera.

The footage she got would do nicely for the wedding.

* * *

Adagio was never properly thanked for all the good work she did for the wedding. She secured a nice venue, a hotel near the north of Canterlot, for the ceremony. She aided Rarity in perfecting Sonata's dress and Aria's tux, even helping her to model them. She hand-wrote all the invitations, answered all the RSVPs, set things up with the catering company, decorated, orchestrated the positioning of all involved, hired the music, put together a whole presentation to celebrate the coming together of the two largest pains in her neck, and made sure Aria knew what she was doing. She received little to no credit for this, because most people focused on the tiny, little, insignificant mistake she made.

She totally forgot to get a priest.

It was a simple mistake that anyone could've made, especially someone as busy as Adagio. She was embarrassed enough at her own shortcoming, and she needed to be scolded for it about as much as she needed a hole in the chest. And, of course, she did end up securing someone to bless the wedding, but it could be argued that the ceremony would've been better without one.

When Adagio realized, she was in the middle of coaching Aria. Both of them were massive nervous wrecks, though they each managed to hide it fairly well. That was partly due to their refusal to be bested by the other, and partly due to the presence of their best friends. The pair of Sunset and Aria, much like Adagio and Rarity, was a pair that was only natural, but still bizarre to those who were familiar with their history. Still, they managed to not only put all of their past discrepancies to the side, but become the best of friends. It was like the first man to accidentally combine chocolate and peanut butter: an absurd combination that made perfect sense once you tasted it.

"So, Sunny will be there at the altar, waiting for you," said Adagio, mentally orchestrating the entire wedding from the safe confines of the hotel room shared by Sunset and Aria. Sunset was sprawled out on her bed, while Aria paced the room, reading over her vows. Rarity, who had hardly spoken, was determinedly altering Aria's suit, trying to get the cuffs just so.

"Then, I'll go to the back and bring out Sonata," continued Adagio. "I'll hand her over, and then-..."

Adagio gasped in shock, then swore suddenly in the native Siren language. Aria, being the only one to understand, raised an eyebrow with a dimension of concern to go along with the confusion that possessed the others.

"Is that how you guys used to talk?" asked Sunset. "I like it. It's vibrant. Flavorful."

Adagio swore again, then consistently dropped naughty words of increasing severity. Rarity didn't know what her friend was saying, but her "Lady Senses" were tingling, and she was sure that whatever it was, it was indecent in nature.

"Adagio, darling, please tell me those weren't swears," said Rarity disappointedly. "It's unbecoming." Adagio swore three times more, now pacing impatiently, running a hand through her massive poof of hair in annoyance.

"Yeah, those are cuss words," nodded Aria. "Really bad ones, too. What's gotten into you, Dag? I don't think I've heard you use that word since I super-glued your hands to your forehead."

"This is so horrifically terrible, I do not even know where to begin," groaned Adagio, rubbing her temples. "This complicates things…"

"Is Sonata, like, engaged to someone else?" asked Aria, only partly as a joke.

"No, you idiot, I-"

"Am _I_ engaged to someone else?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with-"

"Then how complicated can this really be?" asked Aria dismissively. "Nobody's married already, nobody's getting cold feet, and it's legal in this country. Whatever you did, it's probably no big deal."

"I forgot to get someone to bless the wedding."

Rarity actually fainted, and Sunset spent the next two minutes trying to resuscitate her. Aria dropped her notes, staring at Adagio with a blank gaze of confusion. She marched across the room silently and placed a hand on her wedding planner's shoulder.

"I don't understand," said Aria. "Explain it to me. What does this mean for the wedding?"

"More like 'what wedding?'," said Adagio gently. Aria tried to remember her anger management techniques, in through the nose and out through the mouth and whatnot. She tried really hard to stop her blood from boiling.

She tried really hard to put Adagio down when she grabbed her by the collar.

"Look, Aria, I get that you're angry…" began Adagio.

"Yo! Aria, chill!" said Sunset, rushing to Adagio's aid. "Calm down!"

"This ditz just ruined what was supposed to be the best day of my life!" shouted Aria. "Give me one good reason not to break her frigging teeth!" Sunset Shimmer gently grasped Aria's shoulder, the gesture so calming and familiar that Aria hardly had a choice but to loosen her grip.

Slightly.

"Look, the two of us combined know roughly nothing about weddings," said Sunset. "Adagio is your best hope for something that even resembles a proper ceremony. Let her go solve this, okay?"

"I can make some calls, and I swear to God, we move on as scheduled," promised Adagio. "I'll… I'll call in some favors. Whatever, I'll get it done." She locked eyes apologetically with Aria. "I promise."

Adagio wasn't afraid of Aria. Over the past couple thousand years, the two had engaged in many a fist fight. Adagio was confident, given her record, that she could at least defend herself against Aria.

She wasn't so nervous and jittery because of what Aria might do to her. She was more concerned by what Aria would do to herself.

"Aria, drop her," said Sunset firmly. Aria sighed deeply, then released her grasp of Adagio.

"Sorry. I'm really… Really emotional right now. I'm feeling a lot of things I didn't know I could feel," sniffled Aria.

"Are you about to cry?" asked Adagio.

"Will you just get your guy?" snapped Aria. "Sunny, go wake up Rarity. I'm gonna hang with Sony before the wedding."

"It's bad luck to see the bride before you get to the altar," noted Sunset.

"I'll wear a blindfold!"

She didn't actually go to see Sonata, for fear of cursing and voiding the marriage. What she did do was stroll around the hotel, trying to swallow all of her fears, rational or otherwise. It was hard, seeing as so many of her so-called friends were pouring into the hotel (quite early, too) and scaring her even more. It was hard to forget about getting married when everyone from Princess Twilight of Equestria to Principal Celestia of Canterlot High was congratulating you.

The first hug came from Twilight, which made Aria uncomfortable enough (she still felt weird hugging even Sonata). Then, Applejack, Fluttershy, Crystal Prep Twilight (they didn't even know each other that well), Lyra, Bon-Bon, Octavia and Vinyl (who were doing the music for the ceremony), and that odd girl with the wonky eyes, whose name Aria never managed to learn. That was weird enough, but then Aria was being hugged by friends of friends, and friends of those friends. People Aria had never even met before. It was all too much for her. She rarely felt this much support or love in her life, and, when she did, it was in private and only from her fiance.

This was how Sonata made Aria feel everyday: loved, confused, protected, and endangered, all at once. In thousands of years, Aria had never been more confident and simultaneously insecure. It was ripping her apart. Every hug felt more like a knife to the chest. It was a wonderful, once in a lifetime feeling. A lot of people never got to feel this. Aria should be ecstatic.

Then why did she hate it so much?

There was an hour left, and Aria's intense fear showed no signs of diminishing. In fact, it seemed to be growing. Questions kept bouncing in her head, chipping away her excitement and replacing it with dread. She was going to ruin it, she just knew it. Some way or another, she would find a way to ruin her relationship with Sonata. It didn't matter that the two had been together for almost seven years by this point. Aria just knew that it would happen. The two would break up, hate each other forever, and it would be all her fault. She didn't want it to happen. She didn't want to put Sonata through all of that. The sooner she got out of Sonata's life, the better. Her decision, to her, at least, was obvious.

Thirty minutes from the wedding, Aria ran to her room. She told anyone who would ask that she had to get dressed, which wasn't a total lie. She did have to get dressed, just not in her tux. When she got there, Sunset was waiting to coach her through the next step. Aria ignored her, grabbed a suitcase, and started flinging spare clothes into the bag.

"In a few minutes, we…-" Sunset only now noticed what her friend was doing. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Being a huge coward," said Aria flatly. Sunset Shimmer glared at her, going as far as to grab her by the wrist, near threateningly.

"No. You are not leaving her at the altar," said Sunset. "You can't do that to her. That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair, she'll learn to get over it." Aria yanked herself from Sunset's grasp, then kept on packing.

"What do you want us to tell her?" said Sunset angrily.

"Tell her that she was an idiot for dating me, and she should've never said yes," grumbled Aria. She was basically slamming her clothes down by this point. It was lucky for everyone involved that she did, or else she wouldn't have flung her favorite jeans with such ferocity, and the piece of paper she had folded in her back pocket wouldn't have flown out. This paper was possibly the most important piece of paper in Aria's entire life.

A note from Sonata. Aria read it quickly once, then twice more. She began to cry, quietly

"Alright, alright! Come on, let's get suited up," Aria growled. "I'm being stupid. Let's go." Sunset looked at Aria with a mix of concern and contempt. She had never seen Aria change her mind so quickly.

"What just happened?" asked Sunset.

"Look, if you don't want to be part of this anymore, then don't be," said Aria. "Otherwise, we gotta go. I wasted a lot of time today, and I gotta get moving."

"I'm with you Aria, but you gotta learn soon that not everyone is your enemy," said Sunset. "Stop doing that Aria thing where you snap at people for no reason. I'm your friend, and I'm just trying to help." Aria snorted annoyedly, which basically solidified Sunset's point. "This is your problem. You're scared, I get it, but you need to start talking it out."

"I don't know how to talk, okay? That's not my thing."

"Well, you better learn." Sunset crossed her arms across her chest. Over the years, she had learned that the only way to get through to Aria was to be as stern, stubborn, and aggressive as she was. "Cause what you're doing, not communicating, that is the quickest, most surefire way to ruin a marriage."

For whatever reason, that really annoyed the groom to be. Maybe it was Aria's natural distaste for authority, but she just hated the way Sunset was talking to her. Like she was a child. Like she needed guidance. She was over 1,700 years old, goddamnit, and she did not need this chick, who was 23 at best, to tell her how to live her life. Sunset Shimmer was an infant in Aria's eyes. She was tiny, insignificant. Aria had seen men and women like Sunset come and go, in what felt like the blink of an eye. Sunny wasn't so special. She was just a girl.

Which was why her words carried so much weight.

"No offense, Sunset, but what do you know about marriage?" scoffed Aria. She turned away and dropped onto the bed. She was officially too stressed with the day to continue standing. Sunset just kind of laughed, but not exactly in a humored way. It was pained and dark, kind of like the two friends themselves.

"Never met my parents, have you?" said Sunset rhetorically. Still, Aria flinched slightly in shock. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad."

"Sorry. I didn't know."

"Yeah, that's cause I never told you." Sunset lowered onto the bed to Aria's side. "Guess I gotta practice what I preach." Silence fell over the two, both girls getting a hold of their thoughts. Sunset decided that she'd be the first to talk, since Aria would happily stay quiet until forced to open her mouth.

"It was my fault that my folks split," said Sunset. Aria gave her a look that was as close as she could get to kind, empathetic compassion. "Yeah, people tell me all the time not to think like that, but it was. They used to argue about me, what I should do next in terms of my schooling. Dad wanted me to keep pushing forward, but Mom thought I was going too hard. They fought all the time, and they just grew distant."

"That's all it took for their marriage to fall apart?" asked Aria. Sunset laughed that dark, slightly agonized laugh again, then fell back onto her back.

"Well, it might've also had something to do with my mom sleeping around and the domestic violence," admitted Sunset. "But none of that happened before the question of what I'd do came up. Ya know, in a way, my whore mother and wife-beater father are the ones responsible for you ending up with Sonata."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, if it weren't for her inability to keep her legs closed, my dad wouldn't have hit her, they wouldn't have split, and I wouldn't have gone so mad for power," she explained. "I thought that, if I was able to become a strong unicorn mage, I'd be able to force my parents back together. I started rushing to get power, and I ended up getting booted here. If it weren't for me stealing Twilight's crown, she never would've come here. If she didn't come here, she wouldn't have beaten me, and I would've just been a tyrannical high school senior."

"Yeah, and Adagio wouldn't have caught whiff of that Equestrian magic, cause there'd be no Equestrian magic to sense." Aria was getting it now. "And then _we_ wouldn't have lost, and I might not have ended up with Sony."

"Exactly. You know, you'd be surprised of the sort of things that happen due to something apparently unrelated," said Sunset. "The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles." It was a touching moment, and really good advice. Aria might've found time to feel moved by it.

If she didn't recognize the quote.

"Since when did you watch Doctor Who, ya nerd?" asked Aria. Sunset snickered.

"Since when did _you_ watch Doctor Who? Dork." Aria smiled slightly. Sunset's slight embarrassment and guarded retort made Aria feels as if things might actually be normal.

"Thanks for sharing that with me," said Aria. "I think this might help me understand what the heck to do next."

"Don't thank me. Friends confide in each other," said Sunset. "Remember, Sonata may be your girl, but she's also your friend."

There was a knock on the door, followed by said door flying open, and a flustered pair of wedding planners stormed into the room. Rarity, so much in the zone that she had no time for words, just grabbed Aria by the wrist and began dragging her limbs around, to get the last few measurements required.

"I have a priest, the presentation is set up, and everyone is seated," said Adagio. "All we need to do is get you and Sunset in suits, and then we can start. I triple-double checked, in true Twilight Sparkle fashion, to ensure that I forgot nothing this time. I am so, unfathomably, ungodly sorry, I-"

"Shut up for a sec," said Aria. "You did a good job here. It's gonna go smoothly. Just freaking enjoy it, okay?"

"But-"

"Not asking. I'm telling you. Time for you to start taking orders, Dag," said Aria, even as Rarity was ripping her clothes off. "This is your baby. Soak it in, okay? Try to catch the bouquet, and don't kill Rarity over here for it. That's all I need, a murder at my wedding where I'm not convicted."

"Now, I'm glad you feel that way, but I don't think you understand the whole situation," said Adagio sheepishly. "In order to get a priest on such short notice, I had to dig deep. She's not a professional, per say, but she's totally legal."

"I don't care. She can't be too bad, can she?"

* * *

It was a perfect wedding. The weather was perfect, sunny and clear. The venue was perfect, just outside the hotel and in front of the pool. The turnout was perfect. Aria stared down the perfect aisle of perfect seats in perfect awe, taking in the sight of all of her friends, the food, the massive cake that Pinkie Pie had apparently spent three days to make (her effort was very much so appreciated). There were Sonata's favorite tacos, a large projector screen displaying a slow slideshow of Aria and Sonata, both before and during their budding romance. To the left was the band, headed by the epitome of "opposites attract", Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch. Dead in the center, just before the massive round pool, was a large white gazebo was where Aria was meant to take her position. Beneath the gazebo stood the priest, who was a familiar face.

This was the only part of the wedding that was not so perfect.

"Are you serious?" asked Aria as Sunset deposited her beneath the gazebo, in perfect view of all her friends. Sunset was by her side, hand on her shoulder and nervous grin on her face.

"Who else? Who else could possibly sanctify the marriage between two ancient beings of myth?" said the priest, none other than the magician (and, apparently, priest) Trixie Lulamoon. She was dressed as you'd expect: in full wizard cape and hat. "You should be thanking Trixie for agreeing on such short notice, Jezebel Blaze. Truly, the Great and Holy Trixie has quite a busy schedule, and-"

"Shut up for a sec. You hear that?" asked Aria. It was the first few notes of a song. "That's the start of 'Here Comes the Bride'." And so it was, albeit a slightly altered, modernized (and, Aria would argue, better) version of the original.

Aria could see Sonata making her way from the hotel's doors just a few yards away, and she lost breath immediately. She was gorgeous. Clutching a bouquet of lotus, her dress was a soft shade of sea green, and thin, curtain-like. In terms of shape, it more resembled a long salsa or cocktail dress, but with a bit of frill around the wrists and neck. She, of course, wore a veil, but Aria knew that Sonata wouldn't be wearing much makeup. She could just imagine a bit of sapphire eye shadow and faintly blue lipstick. Adagio didn't look bad herself, dressed in a similar (less extravagant) dress with a color scheme best described as inferno-like.

"Whoa," said Aria breathlessly.

"Good job, Aria," said Sunset, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Most people wouldn't be able to lock down a hottie like that."

"Yeah…" Aria whispered. The march was slow, but Aria preferred it that way. It gave her time to straighten her tux, and to make sure she knew exactly what she'd say. Also, she was able to drink in the sight of all of her friends: the former Rainbooms in the front row, and Applebloom's group of Crusaders behind them (among whom was Button Mash, who gave Aria a thumbs up from his seat). Then was Principal Celestia, V.P. Luna, and Dean Cadance from Crystal Prep High School. Adagio's boyfriend actually did make it, seated beside his two best friends in the

back. Silver grinned and winked knowingly at Aria, who couldn't help but snicker.

Soon, Sonata was upon her. Adagio handed her off, then retreated slightly, smirking in her snobbish, Adagio way. The music cut, and Trixie did what she did best.

She put on a show.

"Dear fans of Trixie and her greatness, we are here, primarily, to witness the amazing performing skills of the Blessed and Honorable Trixie," said Trixie. "However, a small few of you, not knowing that Trixie would be here, are instead her to see the binding of two as one. The ending of two lives to become a single life. The union between two ancient friends, Sonata Dusk and Jezebel Blaze!"

"I'm gonna kill her," muttered Aria. Sunset chuckled slightly, knowing that Aria's statement was less of a joke than it should've been.

"Before these two otherworldly souls may become as one, proof of their devotion must be shared with all!" declared Trixie. "And, as such, the Orthodox and Magnificent Trixie orders a reading of vows."

Sonata cleared her throat and stepped forward. She had no cards in her hand, having spent the last three weeks tweaking and memorizing her vows. She didn't need them.

"Aria, before the Battle of the Bands, we'd been through it all. You've saved my life more times than either of us could count," recited Sonata. "We'd lived together for over a thousand years. Every hardship or rough patch any two people could have, we got through it. But it wasn't until almost seven years ago did I meet the real Aria Blaze. The woman who will do anything to make me happy. The woman who can do just about anything she puts her mind to." Sonata sniffed, trying to keep back the tears. She failed. "The woman I fell in love with. I can't remember my life without you, and I don't want to. I want to spend every waking second of our lives by your side. I'm so glad that you're giving me that chance. Nothing in my life has ever felt more right or true than when I look up and shout to the sky 'I love Aria Blaze'."

Sonata was properly in tears now, as was the entirety of the audience. Even Trixie was touched enough to remove her hat and place it over her heart. Aria froze for a second, unsure of whether or not her speech could even compare. She had another moment of weakness, and the idea of running away flitted briefly in her mind. Then, she remembered Sonata's note, and the idea was beaten to death.

"Alright, so you guys all know I suck with words," said Aria. The audience chuckled. "So, to cause the least amount of pain to everybody, I'm gonna try to keep it short." She stepped forward and smiled nervously at her almost-wife. "Sony, I couldn't tell you when I decided that I wanted to be with you. It just sort of happened. I wish it would've happened a lot sooner, though. Without you, I'm pretty much nothing."

A soft, floating " _Awwww!_ " rose through the crowd, which caused Aria to blush slightly.

"Y-yeah, I mean… You took a grumpy, worthless, waste of space loser, and you turned it into… Well, something. You turned me into a good person," stumbled Aria. She was 100% improvising here. "If it weren't for you… I don't even know what I'd have done. In a lot of ways, you saved me from myself. And… And I know I don't deserve you. I don't get scared of people, unless they're you, Sonata. I almost ran away today."

The audience gasped, and Aria felt as if she might've ruined the whole affair. Still, Sonata didn't look upset. If anything, she looked expectant. Even if she was mad, she wouldn't have scolded Aria, because she knew Aria would've done enough of that to herself.

"I know, that sucks, but it's the truth. I was scared," continued Aria. "I was terrified of disappointing you. I didn't want to ruin what we had. I was so scared of messing up that I was gonna pack my bags and run to… I dunno, Canada, maybe. I threw a pair of jeans in my bag, and this piece of paper flies out." She withdrew a sheet of paper. "It was a note you left me. You wrote it a while ago. I was out of the apartment for whatever reason, and when I got back, Dag had dragged you to hang with some dude she was with."

Aria sniffed. She was crying in front of everyone she knew, and she didn't even care. With shaking hands she unfolded the note, cleared her throat, and read it out loud.

"Ari, I just wanted to say how much I miss you, even if you've only been gone for a couple of hours," she recited. "I miss you so much. I wish I could be with you all the time. You make me feel like a gilded pearl sitting in milk chocolate. I'm so glad we met. I'm always thinking about you." Aria chuckled, then folded up the note. "Okay, so the pearl thing makes zero sense, and there's a ton of spelling errors, but your heart is in the right place. And, like, I found it again, and I realized that, if you're willing to be with me every second of every day, well, I better make it worth your time."

Aria nervously stepped back. Despite her attempt to keep it short and sweet, her vows went on longer than Sonata's. Still, Sonata smiled a happy, watery smile and nodded. Aria sighed in relief. She hadn't messed up too horribly.

"How horribly sweet," said Trixie. "Truly nauseating. In any case, now would be the time for this ceremony to end, should it be fated to do so. If anyone, other than Trixie, can show just why these two cannot be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Nobody spoke, which slightly ignored the priest Trixie. "Now is the time… No? Fine. Who has the rings?"

"That's me," said Sunset. She stepped forward, a velvet pillow in her hand. Sitting atop it were two bands of glistening white gold. Aria daintily lifted one of the rings, turning it over in her hand.

"I, Aria Blaze, give to you, Sonata Dusk, this ring," said Aria. She took Sonata's hand in her own. "As a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. As this ring has no end, neither does my love for you. I, Aria Blaze, take you, Sonata Dusk, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life." Aria slipped the ring onto her new wife's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." Sonata laughed happily, taking the other ring.

I, Sonata Dusk, give to you, Aria Blaze, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. As this ring has no end, neither does my love for you. I, Sonata Dusk, take you, Aria Blaze, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life. With this ring, I thee wed." She happily placed the ring on Aria's finger, grasping her hands in her own.

"Ugh. You two nauseate Trixie with your public displays of devotion," groaned Trixie. "But, Trixie has no choice but to continue. With the power vested in the Spectacular and Saintly Trixie, she now pronounces you… Wife and wife? You may now kiss the bride."

The guests cheered as the two came together, locking lips in a long passionate kiss. After a few moments, they broke apart, both possessed with a strange sort of energy, the sort that came from starting the newest chapter in their lives. Sonata haphazardly chucked her bouquet, which Rarity caught with no competition (everyone in attendance knew better). Without a word to anyone, Aria and Sonata made their way away from the altar and to the pool. Without bothering to change, they waded into the pool, to the general confusion of everyone that wasn't Adagio or the Twilights.

"Uh… Dag?" asked Sunset, as the two swam across opposite edges of the pool. "What's going on?"

"It's a Siren wedding tradition," explained Adagio. "They swim on opposite sides, which represents their lives before meeting." The two met at the top. "Then, when they meet, it symbolizes their marriage and binding. Then, they do laps around the pool or body of water, which represents their lives with each other for all of eternity."

Sunset watched in wonder as Sonata and Aria completed their first lap around the circumference of the pool. It was a sweet, lovely tradition that had no real equivalent in the human (or even the Equestrian) wedding ceremonies. Sunset smiled happily for her friends. The binding between the two was official, and it seemed like there would be nothing but good times ahead.

Sonata kissed Aria gently on the cheek. She'd never been happier in her entire life.

"Together forever?" said Sonata. Aria grinned, then kissed her new wife again.

"Definitely."


	2. Minimum Wage Conquers Unemployment

p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"When Aria and Sonata pushed open the door to the apartment, they weren't sure what they were expecting. Adagio making out with her boyfriend, or worse, was a possibility. A sarcastic "welcome home" was very likely. A genuine greeting, while doubtful, was certainly within the realms of reality. The two had been gone for two and a half weeks, after all, and even Adagio would have to admit to missing their company. So, it would stand to reason the Adagio would be happy to see the newly weds./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"You can imagine their surprise when they saw Adagio sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by a million or so sheets of paper and muttering crazily to herself./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""We're having a house meeting," said Adagio, not looking up from her paperwork. Aria looked to her wife, then to Adagio, then back to Sonata before kicking to door closed and setting down their suitcases./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What's going on?" asked Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Oh, and Cuba was nice, thanks for asking," grumbled Aria. "We didn't catch any horrible diseases, and I bought you a nice bottle of rum." Adagio glared at her intensely for a moment./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Sit down," she ordered./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Fine, let this be the last time I bring you a souvenir." Aria and Sonata sat across from Adagio and waited. Their leader looked over her papers one more time before looking up and addressing them./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""While you two idiots were busy getting tans and consummating your marriage, I was looking over our bank records," said Adagio. "And I noticed that our savings were a bit on the low side."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""So? Didn't you say you had assets to liquidate if this sort of thing happened?" asked Aria impatiently./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Yes. So I went to do so. Then I realized that I had sold all our stock already. Then I went to our other accounts." Adagio pinched the bridge of her nose. "To make a long, depressing story short, we're just about out of money."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Out?" said Sonata blankly. "As in, no more?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Broke. Destitute. Penniless," said Adagio. "Bankrupt. Behind the 8 ball. I don't know how else to say it, Sonata. We have basically no more money." Aria blinked audibly about six times before putting her words together./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Alright, I'm not gonna lie, I don't listen to you most of the time," said Aria. "So there's a good chance my memory is bad. Stop me if I'm wrong. If I recall correctly, about 90-something years ago, I said to you 'what's to stop us from running out of cash again', because we had just gotten out of the Great Depression. You said to me 'don't worry, I have a plan that will prevent us from ever running out of money, ever'." Aria waited for someone to correct her, nodding grimly when nobody did. "See, I thought so. But I also remember me trying to ask you a bunch of hypotheticals, to which you replied with…"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""'Do not worry, I will handle it'," said Adagio through gritted teeth. "'We will never, ever run out of money, ever'. Yes, that is what I said. However, the circumstances were different."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Different how?" asked Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Because that was back when the three of us were single and didn't actually have to eat food." Adagio got up and started pacing, trampling her paperwork. "Now, between your wedding, my dates with Silver, and all the groceries we have to buy, we're really low on cash."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""How low?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""We have enough cash, right now, to support our current lifestyle for another three months," sighed Adagio. "Now, with my job at the music shop, I can cover rent and some of the groceries. But, if you are like me and enjoy electricity and running water, I am going to need someone to supplement our income."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Wha?" asked Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""She means one of us has to get a job," growled Aria. "Which means me."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" asked Sonata. "You don't think I can hold down a job or something?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""No, that's not it." Aria thought on it for a moment. "Well, it's true, you probably em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"couldn't/em keep a job. That's not the point I was trying to make, though."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Then why do you have to get a job? Why can't I get a job? You don't trust me to-"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Shut up for a sec, will ya? I shouldn't em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"have/em to trust you to bring money in," said Aria. "That's my job. You're my wife. You shouldn't have to work. What kind of a man can't provide for his family?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""You're not a man," noted Adagio. "Not that I am aware of, at least."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Look, being a man has nothing to do with biology. Being a man is about doing what you have to do to make the people you love happy," said Aria. She stood up and crossed her arms. "It's about respect. It's about protecting your family so that they don't have to worry about anything."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata looked to Adagio for some form of guidance, of which she got none. Neither of the Sirens had ever seen Aria like this. Just seven years ago, a short seven years, Aria would rather die than say something that deep and heartfelt. Even if she always did feel this way, she never would've said it before now. An amazing transformation, indeed./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Wow. You really feel that way?" asked Adagio./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""My wife works when she wants to," said Aria firmly. "Not when I need her to. I'll talk to Button, he might have a job for me at the comic shop."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"And that was the end of it. Any attempts from Sonata to convince Aria that she could get a job were shot down immediately. There was no changing it: Aria refused to let her wife bust her butt just so they could keep a roof over their heads. It was wrong, no matter how Sonata tried to justify it./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"As such, Sonata and Adagio had no choice but to watch in respective horror and amusement as Aria underwent the Tartarus-like process of filling out a job application. Unfortunately, Button's shop had no openings, so Aria had to do things the hard way. Being a several-century old Siren wasn't as beneficial to the process as one might think./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"She was turned down at the local grocery store, as they assumed she was joking when she gave her date of birth (all these years, and people still had trouble believing their origins). The movie theater believed her, oddly enough, but said she lacked the patience or people skills to work in any sort of customer service (A fact she only proved by swearing and angrily threatening her potential employer)./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"And so, Aria began looking into work that required her to interact with people very rarely. She considered working at a storage warehouse near the south of town, but the man who ran it was a sexist homophobe. He'd give her a job, but it was clear that Aria would punch him in the jaw before the week was up. She thought she found a good one in a butcher's shop, and was very nearly done with the interview process. She would've started working that day, if she wasn't informed that she'd also have to behead, debone, and descale fish (which, for whatever reason, was really popular in Canterlot City). This was a firm deal-breaker, and Aria barely made it out without throwing up./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"The Friday of the week of job-hunting was when Aria had a breakthrough. Sunset had decided that the group hadn't hung out in too long, and took it upon herself to remedy that fact. The Sirens, the Rainbooms, and Crystal Prep Twilight were all at Sunny's house, drinking, talking, laughing, and generally having a good time. Adagio had brought her Wii U, and a bit of a drinking game broke out involving Mario Party 10 and a large bottle of tequila. Sunset and Aria, who had the misfortune of being designated drivers, were the only two that weren't totally plastered. It was lucky that the group had some sober members, because when pizza inevitably ran out, there was someone who could go order some more./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria followed Sunset out the side door of her house and to her garage. Sunny, who apparently didn't feel like driving, chucked the keys to Aria and hopped into the fire-red convertible. Aria was about to follow suite, but stopped herself upon seeing a similarly red motorcycle./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Hey, that yours?" asked Aria./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""The bike? Yeah, I got it a while ago," said Sunset. "I don't ride anymore, though. It's more fiscally responsible to just take the bus to and from school." Aria nodded, as she considered buying herself a motorcycle in the past. She rode years ago, but hadn't since long before she hooked up with Sonata. Maybe it'd be nice to get back into it./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"When the two arrived at the local pizza joint, they saw something that solved all of Aria's problems. As they walked out with their stacks of pizzas, Aria noticed a sign in the window. She grinned slightly./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Hey, Sunny," she said. "How much do you want for that bike?" Sunset tilted her head in confusion, which resolved itself when Aria gestured to the sign in the window./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Delivery Drivers Wanted!/em/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""It's all yours," said Sunset./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria originally didn't want to get a job, but, now that one was within her grasp, she felt significantly better about it. It'd be good for her to get out of the house and become an active, productive member of society. Maybe having a job would be fun./p  
p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;" /p  
hr style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dddddd; border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #dddddd;" /  
p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;" /p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Ma'am, do you know why I pulled you over?" asked the officer. Aria ran her hand through one of her pigtails in frustration./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Well, I wasn't speeding, I don't have any blood on my hands, so…" Aria said sarcastically. "No. I have no earthly idea why you pulled me over. But you know what? I bet you're gonna tell me anyway."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Your hair, ma'am. It's too long," he said. "It almost got caught in your tires."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Fascinating. Can I go now?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""You may certainly not. This is a serious issue. You are a danger to yourself, and a danger to others."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria was about to state the the only person she was a danger to was him if he didn't let her go, but then she remembered that threatening cop is four years, easy./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I'll be sure to get it cut," grumbled Aria. "Is that all, sir?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Mind if I ask what's in that bag?" asked the officer. Aria looked back to her steaming thermal pizza bag and couldn't stop the smart remark from leaving her mouth./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Well, let's see. A thermal bag, a motorcycle driven by a chick in em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"full Marco's Pizza uniform/em, heading in the opposite direction of a Marco's Pizza…" Aria clicked her tongue. "Well, I thought it'd be obvious. It's seventy pounds of pure Columbian cocaine."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Ma'am, please step away from the bike," ordered the officer./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""You cannot be serious right now. Dude, it was-"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Step off of the bike with your hands up. Now."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria begrudgingly kicked out her kickstand and stepped off of the box. She glanced at her watch, wondering how much longer she'd be held up. She had finished her deliveries for the day, luckily, but Sonata and Adagio were expecting her back by 9./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What was the point of that?" asked Aria. "Look, I have a date, and the missus is-"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"She was interrupted when the cop slapped a pair of handcuffs on her wrist./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Name," he said./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What?! You can't arrest me! I didn't do anything!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What's your name?" repeated the officer./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Aria Blaze, but I swear to God, you can't-"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Aria Blaze, you are under arrest for possession of a controlled substance. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I know the Miranda Rights! I was alive to see that case!" snapped Aria. "You can't arrest me!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"As it turned out, he could, and he did. Adagio and Sonata had to drive down to the station and pick her up. On the bright side, it wouldn't go on record, and the officer would probably be reprimanded for his unnecessary excitement. Still, Aria was livid, her mood not much improved by her two companions./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""If you would've let me get a job, you wouldn't have gotten arrested," noted Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I'm about to get arrested again," growled Aria. "For murder."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""You two are both idiots. Shut up and think about how to proceed," said Adagio. "When I said someone should get a job, I didn't think you'd get a minimum wage high school job."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""It's better than nothing," said Aria. "Fine. If it's like that, I'll quit, and then you can use your connections to get me a real job. So sorry for doing my best, Master Adagio, I'll try not to disappoint next time."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Adagio groaned in annoyance. Aria's employment was supposed to cut back on the frustration, not add on to it./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Hey, did you get the pizza?" asked Sonata. Aria glared at her wife with fire and fury enough to dwarf the sun. The rage Aria poured out of her eyes could be damaging to the soul./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""No," said Aria dryly. "I didn't."/p 


	3. Yoga Pants Conquers Belly Fat

p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria was always the first of the three Sirens to wake up, mostly through virtue of hardly sleeping to begin with. It was one of the natural Siren traits that Aria retained while the others lost it in their inadvertent humanization. Often nights, the only reason Aria went to bed at all was to hold Sonata in her arms. Still, she always left bed by 4:30 AM, at the latest. This gave her a lot of time to get the day started, and most days, she spent it sketching and doodling before she went about her normal routine./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"The first Saturday after Aria got a job, she decided that she'd do something nice for the girls after she was done with her art practice. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, the works. By the time she was setting the table with plates, glasses, and mugs, the smell had awoken Adagio./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Holy heaven, that smells amazing," said the sleepy leader as she groggily dragged herself into the kitchen. "Cooking breakfast? What's gotten into you?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I was just thinking I need some good karma," said Aria with a shrug. "Plates are on the table, I got water boiling for your tea, and the biscuits should be coming out soon."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Biscuits? Aria Blaze made biscuits?" chuckled Adagio. She deposited herself in her seat. "What an odd dream this is."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Laugh if you want, just give the plate back."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I apologize for my outburst." Adagio picked up a fork and knife and started digging in. The food tasted even better than it smelled, if that was possible, and was made doubly satisfying when Adagio considered who had produced it./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I didn't screw anything up, did I?" asked Aria. She pulled the skillet of biscuits from the oven and transported them to a platter, which she grabbed, along with the kettle of hot water for Adagio./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""You didn't make enough," said Adagio. Aria chuckled, set down the biscuits (Adagio swiped three and stuffed one in her mouth immediately), then filled Adagio's mug. She returned the kettle to the stove and returned with a coffee pot (for Sonata) and a pitcher of OJ, for herself. She filled Sonata's mug, added the cream and two sugars she knew Sonata would want, then finally took a seat to begin her own meal./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Yeah, don't be afraid to make another plate," said Aria. "You were joking before, but I kinda did make a lot."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""We are not a wasteful species, us Sirens," promised Adagio./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"As Aria was filling her cup, her sleepy wife decided to make an appearance. She trudged into the kitchen (entirely in her pajamas), her shirt slightly up and pinching her stomach with both hands./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Morning, babe. I got coffee for you, so try not to be dead for too much longer," said Aria, taking a sip of orange juice./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Babe, do you think I'm getting fat?" asked Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria's brain froze mid-sip, which resulted in her coughing and choking into her cup. Adagio laughed hysterically into her bacon, trying her hardest (and failing) to keep her humor to herself./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What?" asked Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Good luck with this one!" cackled Adagio./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Sorry? What?" asked Aria, wiping the orange juice from her nostrils. Sonata took a seat and picked up her mug./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Do you think I'm getting fat?" repeated Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What makes you think that I think you're getting fat?" asked Aria evasively./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Because I'm getting fat."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"This was a very precarious situation for Aria, who had in fact noticed that her wife had put on a few pounds. She frankly didn't care, because Sonata had gained no more than ten pounds, and Aria would love her even if she gained three hundred more. However, the question wasn't whether Aria cared. It was if she had noticed. There was no good answer. If she said "no", then Sonata would call her a liar, think that her lack of attention (to something that was a em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"huge/em problem to Sonata) was a sign of uncaring.. If Aria said "yes", then she would've just called her obviously self-conscious wife fat. She would have to proceed with caution./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I… I think that I love every pound of you, and you'll always be gorgeous in my eyes," said Aria. "I think that, even though you may have put on a few pounds, it doesn't really matter, because you're still thinner than the average American."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""So you em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"do/em think I'm getting fat?" asked Sonata, for confirmation./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""That's not what I said. I said that you may have put on a pound or two, but that's okay!" Sonata crossed her arms expectantly. "It's super normal for the wife to gain some weight after marriage."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""You didn't gain any weight," noted Adagio, a sly grin on her face./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""The next biscuit you eat will be poisoned," growled Aria. Sonata pushed her plate away./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""That tears it. I'm never eating again," said Sonata defiantly./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Babe, don't be stupid. You're not fat," said Aria. "You put on ten pounds, so what? You'll burn it off in no time."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Really? How?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria was not expecting that question, which may have been a bit stupid of her. She was really just trying to run out the clock on the whole "fat" thing. As Sonata's gaze grew more impatient, Aria felt ideas leave her head, rather than come to it. Just before it was too late, she had something of a brain blast./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""The gym! You can start coming to the gym with me!" said Aria excitedly. "It'll be fun. You'll lose that wedding weight, maybe put on some muscle. I love you, babe, but you're built like a noodle."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata bit her lip slightly in thought, then slowly nodded her head. She got up and left the room for several minutes, leaving Aria and Adagio in awkward silence. When she returned, she was fully dressed and ready to go./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Uh… Now?" asked Aria./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Yes, now. The sooner we get there, the sooner I lose the weight," said Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I normally go at night, when everybody's asleep…" Sonata raised an eyebrow expectantly. "But, I guess I can change up my routine. Come on, let's go. You got clean-up, Dag?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Sure, whatever," said Adagio. She grabbed another biscuit. "Don't expect any leftovers." She noticed the glare in Aria's eyes. "Fine, I'll save some bacon for Achilles."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria rolled her eyes before finishing up her juice and leaving the table. Five minutes later, she returned in a tank top and a gym bag slung over her shoulder. Sonata noticed neither of those things. She was mostly focused on what Aria chose to wear on her bottom half./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"The tightest, most form-fitting, most amazing yoga pants ever made./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Ready?" asked Aria./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Since when did you wear yoga pants?" asked Sonata. Aria shrugged./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""SInce ever. I only wear them to work out, though. They're comfy."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata grinned. This workout was sure to be awesome./p  
p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;" /p  
hr style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dddddd; border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #dddddd;" /  
p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;" /p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata soon realized that working out with Aria may not be as much fun as she thought./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata knew that Aria was vaguely aggressive at the best of times, but she was nearing dangerous in the gym. Stretching was fine, even Sonata could do that with minimal guidance, but from there, it was a challenge. What made everything a whole lot worse was that Sonata knew that all of her troubles were her own fault./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"She encountered her first difficulty when Aria suggested the two start on the treadmills. There were three rows of the machines, all positioned facing a large wall of reflective glass. Only two were open for them to use: the third one over in the first and second rows. At Sonata's suggestion, Aria took the first one, while Sonata chose the second. This gave her a perfect view of the prize in front of her./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata started off at a slow walk, as Aria suggested. But, after watching Aria (or, specifically, Aria's butt) pick up the pace to a quick jog, Sonata felt the urge to keep up with her clearly more athletic partner. She thought, for whatever reason, that Aria would be impressed with her speed and endurance (ignoring the facts that Aria probably couldn't see her, she was neither quick nor able to run particularly long, and, most importantly, she had no reason to impress her, because the two were already married)./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Unbeknownst to Sonata, the wife she was trying to impress actually could see her, in the mirror. Noticing Sonata's gaze with a grin, she decided to have a bit of fun. She knew for a fact that Sonata couldn't go much faster. Now, it was all a matter of seeing when Sonata realized that. Aria deviously picked up the speed, now effectively sprinting. Just as she predicted, Sonata matched her speed. Also to her prediction, she struggled to do so./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Meanwhile, Sonata was drawing all her strength solely from the image of Aria's form-fitting pants. After she got used to the new speed, she actually felt rather comfortable. She was feeling confident. Comfortable and confident enough to turn up the speed even more. As soon as she took another step, her foot was suddenly slipping back em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"way/em faster than she expected. She couldn't get her other foot forward in time./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Eep!" squealed Sonata. She was suddenly moving down, very, very quickly./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Her face slammed against the floor of the treadmill, slipping off onto the cold tile painfully. She went from standing and running confidently to laying down and crying painfully, all in the span of half a second./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Ariiii!/em" whined Sonata, in too much pain to care that the whole gym could see her. Aria leapt from her treadmill without bothering to shut it off, then sprinted over to Sonata, her heart beating in her throat./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Jesus, are you okay?" Aria lifted Sonata's face from the floor and inspected it for damage. She seemed mostly fine, besides the viciously embarrassed blush and slight track of tears down her face./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I t-think so," sniffled Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Good," sighed Aria./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Then she started laughing. Really, really hard. And for a really long time./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""It's not funny!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""It is now that I know you're okay," cackled Aria. "That's what you get for being so stupid."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Sonata grumbled slightly before wiping her face and shakily rising to her feet. She was fine, the only thing really hurt was her pride, and she had to admit that she was being a little stupid. She sniffed once, shook herself firmly, then proceeded to sit back down./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I give up," she said./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""No, you don't. You're just getting started." Aria practically yanked Sonata to her feet. "Up and at 'em, tubby butt."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Fine, whatever. I'm not running, though," grumbled Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""That's cool. You need some strength training, anyway," said Aria. "To the bench press, noodle arms!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Am I Tubby Butt or Noodle Arms?" asked Sonata. "Cause I don't think I can be both." Aria looked her up and down, her lips pursed slightly in thought./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Noodle Arms," she decided. "Definitely Noodle Arms."/p  
p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;" /p  
hr style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dddddd; border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #dddddd;" /  
p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;" /p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Come on, get it up!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I'm trying!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Try harder! This is pathetic!"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"To be perfectly frank, it was rather sad to watch. Aria was spotting Sonata, who struggled to do more than a single rep. She got the bar up three times before she threatened to quit. Aria wouldn't allow her, though. As soon as Sonata went to put up the barbell, Aria would lean on it slightly, putting just enough weight to prevent Sonata from moving it./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Make it lighter!" whined Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria looked at the empty bar, with no weights whatsoever, and rolled her eyes./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Seriously, babe?" Aria decided she'd try one more thing before calling it a day. She dropped to her knees and brought her lips close to Sonata's ear./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Is that really the best you got?" whispered Aria sensually. "I know you can do better than that."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""W-what are you doing?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""I've been watching you, Sonata. The way you look at me." Aria giggled femininely, em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"femininely/em, then kissed Sonata softly on the forehead. "You've been staring. And here I am thinking you liked me for my personality."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Why are you talking like that?" asked Sonata breathlessly. "You're making me uncomfortable."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Sorry to hear that, babe. How about this?" said Aria. "You get this bar up one more time, and I take you home for a little reward?" Sonata squeaked, feeling the bar slip slightly out of her hand. She managed to recover, but still struggled to lift it all the way up./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What kind of reward?" asked Sonata. Aria leaned forward and whispered something in Sonata's ear. Sonata was silent for the first minute of Aria's description, and she had enough strength and power of will stored up to pump out several reps by minute five./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Done!" said Sonata giddily, dropping the empty barbell on the rests. Aria rolled her eyes then helped her sweaty workout partner to her feet. Basically, no progress was made, but that wasn't the point. The point was to distract Sonata from the extra weight, which Aria had apparently done. Using her feminine charms. And her butt./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Come on, let's get you out of here," said Aria, slinging her bag over her shoulder. The two set off for the exit, but not before Aria asked a question that had been plaguing her mind all morning./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Dude, what's up with you?" asked Aria./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""What do you mean?"/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Like… You've actually seen me naked before." Sonata grinned, remembering fondly. "So what's the deal with the staring? I don't mind, it's just kind of weird. I mean, my butt isn't even all that great."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Yoga pants make all butts look awesome," said Sonata./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"Aria thought about it, but couldn't really make a call either way. Then, she imagined Sonata in the same yoga pants she was currently wearing./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Yeah, I guess so." She smirked slyly. "Let's get you in a shower."/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;""Coming with?" asked Sonata. Aria looked at her blankly for a moment, then broke into a grin./p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 3em; color: #00cc00; line-height: 31.68px; text-align: justify; background-color: #000000;"She promised Sonata a reward, and Aria wasn't the type to break a promise./p 


End file.
